Heater



July 10, 1928.

INVEN TOR.

A TTORNE Y.

July 10, 1928.

G. E, STARKWEATHER HEATER Filed May 16, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet ATTORNEY.

Patented July l0, 1928.

UNITED STAT-ESv PATENT i OFFICE. i

GEORGE E. sTARxwEA'rHER, or Los ANGELES. CALIFORNIA. AssIeNoR or ONE- roURTH To THOMAS A. HOLLAND AND ONE-FOURTH To BRYAN CHAMBERS, BOTH 0F LOS ANGELES, CALUORNIA.

` HEATER.

Application led May 16, 1927. Serial No. 191,772.

This invention relates to a water heaterV of the instantaneous type," and has for its object to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set forth, a water heater of such class-including al thermost-atic controlled heating element, and further with the water heater so Constructed and arranged to obviate theV necessity of a storage tank for hot water, as well as a water heater includingA means to provide for the back' circulation of. the heat of the water when not discharging hot water and when discharging hot water providing for the incoming cool water to circulate around the thermostatic element to avoid over-heating. A

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a. manner as hereinafter set forth, an instantaneous water heater including a therlnostatic controlled heating element and further with the water heater constructed and arranged to overcome piston sticking and expense ot repacking with respect to a thermostatic element which controls the water heating element or burner. g Further objects of the invention are to provide, in a manner as hereinafter set vforth, a water heater of the instantaneous type which is comparatively simple in its construction and arrangement, strong, durablc,.compact, thoroughly efficient in its use, readily assembled and comparatively inexpensive to set up.

With the foregoing and other objects inj view the invention consists of the novel construction, combination and` arrangement of parts as hereinafter more specifically de-' scribed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein is shown an embodiment of the inventiombut it is to be understood v1n the drawings wherein like reference characters `denote correspondingparts kthroughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a i water heater in accordance with this ini water heater, in accordance with this invention includes a pair of concentrically arranged, spaced, vertically disposed cylin- `air chamber 4 of annular contour.

ings 6 providing air intake openings for the chamber 4. The steps of the base 5 arein- `dicated at 7, 8 the former arranged above the latter and the riser between the steps 7 and Sis indicated at 9. The shell 1 is seated `-on the step 8 and abuts'against the riser 9.

The shell 2 is seatedon the inner portion of the step 7 and abuts against the heating element or burner which is formed integral with the base 5. A Y

The heating or burner element consists of an annular casting, referred to generally-by the reference character 10 and which is arranged witbim integral with and'depends above and below the top of the base 5. The shell 2 abuts against that portion of the casting 10 which extends above thetop of the base 5. The casting 10 is formed with an outer annular chamber 11, a circular central chamber 12 and a series of radially `disposed tubular portions 13 which establish communication between the chambers 11 and 12. Each tubular portion 13 is formed with a set of jet openings 14. The outer openings of each set of openings are positioned at the ends of the tubular portion 13.` The casting v10 at the axis of its top and axis of its bottom is formed with openings 16, 17 respectively having threaded walls and arranged in alignment. The top of the casting has an integral upstanding peripherallv threaded collar 18 aligning with the walls of the opening 16. The bottom wall of the annular chamber 11 is formed with an opening 19 and is furtherformed with a depending tubular flaring extension 20 to which is secured an air intake element 21 having connected therewith a gas supply line 22 which opens into the intake element 21 for supplying gas to the extension 20. The line 22`isV disposed below the base 5 and is provided with a controlling valve 23." The line 22 rearwardly of the valve or cut-ott 23 has mounted therein and extended therefrom a thermostatic controlled cut-off 24 and communicating with the line 22 rearwardly of the cut-ofi' 24 and extending into the heatt light orburner 26. p Mounted upon the "shells or casings 1, 2, as well as being secured therewith in any suitable manner, is a clure 27 for the top of the chamber 25. The closure 27 is formed with a depending annular flange 28 which abuts against the inner face of the shell or casing 2. The closure 27 is of a diameter' to extend beyond and surround the upper part of the shell or casing 1. Centrally of the closure 27, it is formedwith an opening 28 and also with an upstanding annular flange 29 which forms a continuation of the opening 28. Connected to the {iange 29 is a conducting pipe 30. The opening 28 Iprovides an outlet for the chamber vand Vthe pipe 30 conducts off the fumes from such chamber.

Seated upon the top of the casing 10 and threadably engaging with the collar 18, is

a vertically disposed sleeve 431 which graduall)T increases in `diameter from its lower to its upper end and has the inner face thereof, at its upper end provided with interior threads 32. Arranged within the chamber 25 and threadably engaging, at its ylower end with the kthreads 32 of the sleeve 31, isa vertically disposed sleeve 33 of uniform diameter throughout and of greater length than the sleeve 31.` The lower end of the sleeve 32 extendsinto the upper endfof the sleeve 31. Connectedto the upper end of the sleeve 33 is an" elbow 34, having its upper arm35 gradually decreasing in diameter yfrom its inner towards its outer end and which has connected therewith, as well as opening thereinto, a cold water supply pipe 36, which extends through the shells 1 and 2 has its outer end provided with a .T- coupling 37. Attached to the T-coupling 37 and depending therefrom is a valve con` trolled cold watersupply line 38. 4The sleeves 31 and 33 form a cool water receiving chamber 39 havingr arranged therein a thermostatic controlling element, to be presently referred to, for the eut-off 24.`

Arrangedwithin theheating cl'iamber 25 is a set of communicating, concentrically arranged water heating coils. The set includes inner, intermediate and outer `coils 40,` 41 and 42. The lower end of the coil 4.0.is connected with the sleeve 31, as at 43 and communicat/es with the chamber 33. The upper end of the' coil -:t0 is connected to the upper end of the coil 41 as at 44. The lower end of the coil 41, is connected to the lower end ofthe coil Ll2 as at 4:5. The set of coils ex tend from theelbow 34 to a point below the top of the sleeve 31. The coils are arranged in enveloping position with respect to the sleeve 33 and with respectto approximately the upper half of the sleeve 31. The upper ing chamber 2 5. formed by the shell 2, is "a,

end of the coil 42 is extended, as at 46 and passes through the shells 1 and 2 and opens into a hot water dischzirge line 47, provided intermediate its ends with a T-coupling 48,

`to `which is connected a by-pass Lt9," provided with a chcckvalve 50. `The bypass 49 is thereof. The lower end of the tube 51 is open. The periphery, at the lower terminal portion of the tube 51, is threaded, as at 53. The lower terminal portion of the tube 5l extends through the openings 16, 17 and has threaded engagementwith the walls of said openings, as well as threaded engagement with vinterior threads 54 formed on the collar 18. The tube 51 is connected to the top and bottom of the casting 10. The tube 51 is of materially less diameter than the inner diameter of the sleeves 31. 33. Arranged within the tube 51 is av vertically disposed shifting rod 55. preferably constructed of porcelain extending from the closure 52 and depends below the bottom of the casting 10. The lowerend of the rod 55 pointed, as indicated at 5G. The rod 55 Vis shifted on the contraction of the tube 51 and the function ofsaid rod is to normally n-iaintain the cut-olf 24 in open position to provide for a supply of gas to the heating element or burner. Therod 55 coacts with a spring controlled pivoted lever arm 58, notched as at 59 for the reception of the pointed end 56 of theV rod 55. The bottom of the casting 10 is formed with an apertured lug, 60, to which is pivotally connected, as at 61, the inner end of the lever arm 58. The notch 59is arranged in proximity to the pivot 61. The outer endof the lever arm 58 has a pin and slotconnection with the stem kof the cut-off 24, and connected to the outer endy of the lever arm 58 is a controllingspring (32 which is anchored to the casting 10.` The controlling spring 62 functions to shift the eut-off 24 to closure position to discontinue the sup ply of gas to the heating or burner clement. The function of the rod 55 is to act on the lever arm 58, against the action of its controlling spring, for the purpose of maintaining thecut-of lin open position and normal condition of operation with respect to the water heater. When the tube 51 is expanded, the spring G2 will elevate. the lever arm 58, as the rod 55 can be shifted upwardly within the tube, but on a contraction of the tube 51, the rod 55' will be moved ,down-` wardly, acting on the lever arm 58 so as to Inovethe cut-off 24 to open positionand holdit in-such position until the rod 55 can be released, on the expansion of the tube 51 so that the spring`-`62 can shift the cut-vif to closure position.

The check valve 50 acts to closethe bypass 49, to the supply pipe 36, when the hot water discharge line 47 is opened and the incoming cold water will be conducted into the chamber 39 and from there enter the nner coil 40. When the hot water discharge line 47 is closed, the check valve 50 is not seated and the heat of the hot water can be utilized to heat the water in the pipe 36 and chamber 39 or in other words a back circulation is had for the heat of the water. The tube 51 has its upper end positioned a substantial distance below the upper end of the sleeve 33. The manner of setting up the cold water receiving chamber with respect to the thermostatic element, avoids the over-heating thereof, due to the supply of cold water to such chamber and quickly causes the contraction of the tube 5l to provide for the supply of gas for combustible purposes when the hot Wateris discharged.

It is thought the many advantages of a water heater, in accordance with this invention, can be readily understood, and although the preferred embodiment of the invention is as illustrated and described, yet it is to be understood that changes in the details of construction can be had which will fall within the scope of the invention'as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. A Water heater comprising a heating chamber, a set of communicating, concentrically disposed coils arranged within said chamber, a cold water receiving chamber arranged within the `heating chamber, surrounded by said coils and communicating in proximity to its lower end with the inner coil of the set, a valve controlled cold water supply line extending into the heating chamber vand communicating with the receiving chamber at the top thereof, a hot water discharge line communicating with the outer coil of said set, a by-pass between said lines and provided with a check valve, a heating element arranged at the bot-tom of the heating chamber, and control means therefor i11- cluding a thcrmostatic element arranged within said receiving chamber.

2. In a water heater, a casing providing a` heating chamber, a hollow support for said casing, said support having a part thereof providing a burner extending vinto said chamber at the lower end thereof, water heating coils arranged within said chamber, 'a cold water receiving chamber of less height than and positioned within the heating chamber and surrounded by and communieating with said coils, said cold water receiving chamber having its lower end closed by said burner, control means arranged below said support and within and extending from said cold water receiving `chamber and including a thermostatic element, said means controlling the supply of fuel to said support for said burner, a cold water supply line opening into the top of said receiving chamber, and a hot water discharge line extended from said coils to said casing.

In testimony whereof, I aix my signature hereto.

GEORGE E. STARKWEATHER. 

